The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a passenger side airbag device to a hidden side of an instrument panel.
In a conventional passenger side airbag device, an airbag in a folded state is accommodated within a canister-like container, which is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cretainerxe2x80x9d, and the front opening of the container or retainer is covered by a lid. Disposed at the bottom of the container is an inflator or gas generator for inflating the airbag. The lid is composed of a covering member separated from an instrument panel or composed of a certain area in the instrument panel defined by tear lines.
Referring to FIG. 12, a general structure of a passenger side airbag device will be described, which has a lid formed at a certain area in an instrument panel as mentioned above. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a conventional passenger side airbag device, and the structure for attaching the passenger side airbag device to an instrument panel.
The conventional passenger side airbag device 100 shown in FIG. 12 comprises a container 101 which has a rectangular shape in its plan view, an airbag 102 which is folded and accommodated in the container 101, an instrument panel 103 covering an opening of the container 101 at the upper side of the container 101, a plate 104 which is interposed between the opening of the container 101 and the instrument panel 103 to connect the container 101 to the instrument panel 103, and an inflator 105 which is substantially formed in a cylindrical shape and generates gas for inflating the airbag 102.
The instrument panel 103 is provided with tear lines or breakable portions 103a formed in the back surface thereof. The tear lines 103a define a certain area in the instrument panel 103 as the lid for covering the opening of the container 102.
The plate 104 is arranged behind the instrument panel 103 to extend along the certain area of the instrument panel 103. The plate 104 is integrated with the instrument panel 103 and has connecting pieces 104a formed around the periphery thereof for connecting the container 101 to the instrument panel 103.
Disposed at the bottom of the container 101 is a semi-cylindrical inflator receiving member 106. The inflator 105 is fitted in the inflator receiving member 106 and the upper half of the inflator 105 is held by a retaining member 107. The retaining member 107 has flanges 107a to be superposed on the bottom of the container 101. Clamped between the flanges 107a and the bottom of the container 101 is an edge portion of a gas inlet of the airbag 102. The flanges 107a and the receiving member 106 are fixed to the container 101 together by bolts and nuts.
Provided around the periphery of the opening of the container 101 are fixing members 108 to be fixed to the connecting pieces 104a. Each fixing member 108 has an overhung portion 108a which is formed to project from the outer periphery of the container 101 and to extend along the back surfaces of the connecting pieces 104a. The overhung portions 108a are provided with through holes (not shown) through which bolts or rivets are inserted.
The container 101 in which the airbag 102 in the folded state is accommodated is attached to the certain area of the instrument panel 103 as the lid from behind in such a manner that the overhung portions 108a of the fixing members 108 provided around the periphery of the opening of the container 101 are brought in contact with the connecting pieces 104a. The connecting pieces 104a and the overhung portions 108a are connected to each other by bolts or rivets, so that the container 101 and the instrument panel 103 are connected.
In the aforementioned passenger side airbag device 100, since the container 101 is securely fixed to the connecting pieces 104a all around the periphery of the opening by the fixing members 108 fixed to the periphery of the opening, it is hard to detach the container 101 from the instrument panel 103. Particularly, in a state that the container 101 and the instrument panel 103 are connected to each other to compose the passenger side airbag device 100 and the instrument panel 103 is mounted to a vehicle body, it is very hard, from a cabin of the vehicle, to detach the container from the instrument panel 103 without detaching the instrument panel 103 from the vehicle body, for example, for maintenance of the passenger side airbag device 100. In particular, it is significantly hard to cancel the connection between the connecting piece 104a and the fixing member 108 of the container 101 at the windshield side, i.e. front side of the vehicle body, without detaching the instrument panel 103 from the vehicle body.
It is an object of the present invention to resolve the aforementioned problem and to provide a passenger side airbag device, wherein a container can be easily attached to and detached from an instrument panel and still can be detached from the instrument panel even when the instrument panel is mounted to a vehicle body.
It is another object of the invention to provide a structure for attaching the passenger side airbag device to the instrument panel.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
A passenger-side airbag device of the present invention comprises a container having at least a pair of oppositely facing side faces, and an airbag which is folded and accommodated in the container. The container has a coupling member disposed on one of the pair of the side faces for coupling the container to an instrument panel, and a fixing member on the other one of the pair of the side faces for fixing the container to the instrument panel.
In the structure for attaching the passenger side airbag device of the present invention, the aforementioned passenger side airbag device is attached to a hidden side of the instrument panel.
In the structure for attaching the passenger-side airbag device according to the present invention, the coupling member is preferably positioned at the front side or one side of a vehicle, the coupling member is a hook or an aperture, and the instrument panel is provided with an engaging member which is an aperture or a hook. The engagement between the coupling member and the engaging member is achieved by inserting the hook into the aperture. Further, in the structure for attaching the passenger side airbag device, it is preferable that the fixing member of the passenger side airbag device is detachably attached to the instrument panel.
According to the aforementioned structure, the passenger side airbag device of the present invention can be easily attached to the instrument panel by engaging the coupling member disposed on the side face of the container facing the front of the vehicle with the engaging member of the instrument panel, and then detachably fixing the fixing member disposed at the other side face opposite to the aforementioned side face to the instrument panel. On the other hand, the passenger side airbag device of the present invention can be easily detached from the instrument panel by releasing the fixing between the fixing member and the instrument panel and then pulling out the coupling member from the engaging member at the front side of the vehicle because the engagement between the coupling member and the engaging member is not fixed permanently. As a result, even when the passenger side airbag device is attached to the instrument panel and the instrument panel is mounted to a vehicle body, the passenger side airbag device can be detached from the instrument panel without detaching the instrument panel from the vehicle body. The detachment can be conducted from the cabin side.